The Grano Speakers Series was established as a modern-day salon: a smaller, more intimate gathering where thought leaders in business, government, academia and the media can meet to discuss world events. The Grano Series takes place at Toronto’s Grano restaurant under the proprietorship of Roberto Martella. Grano’s intimate atmosphere provides a perfect combination of informal dinning with an energetic atmosphere for debate and discussion. All events are by invitation only.
The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies has been a partner since the series inception. On
October 11, 2004, Wiliam Kristol opened the series with “ Kerry’s Best Hope t o beat Bush is to offer an I raq alternative. Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard, worked in the White House of George Bush Sr.
He opened his talk by saying:
“I wasn’t a big Bush supporter in 2000. I preferred [Sen. John] McCain, primarily because of foreign policy because I thought he would be more interventionist. He had supported [president Bill] Clinton on the Balkans, which I agreed with. Most Republicans hadn’t. I preferred McCain, something for which the Bush people have never quite forgiven me. They have long memories, the Bushes. Either you’re with them or against them. So I speak not as some kind of Bush loyalist or apologist. From the American point of view, we have lived through two very big changes in just 15 years. We grew up in the Cold War years. That was the defining fact of American politics and world politics for 40 years until November 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union disintegrated two years later. We then adjusted to the ’90s, which was a remarkably different decade in terms of world politics and very much in terms of American politics. The ’90s ended on Sept. 11, 2001.”
To read more about the Grano series, click here.